Manchester United hero Nicky Butt says ‘amazing’ Kobbie Mainoo will be ‘very wanted man’

Nicky Butt has praised Kobbie Mainoo’s ‘amazing temperament’ and warned Manchester United that the midfielder will be a ‘very wanted man’ if he continues on the same trajectory.

Mainoo rose through United’s academy ranks after joining at the age of just seven and made his first-team debut for his boyhood club in January 2023.

Since then, Mainoo’s stock has continued to soar at a rapid rate and the 19-year-old is widely considered to be one of the finest young players in European football.

Erik ten Hag now views Mainoo as one of the first names on his teamsheet and the teenager has started all three of the Red Devils’ matches in the Premier League this season against Fulham, Brighton and Liverpool.

The youngster has also established himself as a regular in England’s starting XI and will be hoping to continue his run in Lee Carlsey’s side against Finland on Tuesday night after playing 77 minutes of the Three Lions’ win over the Republic of Ireland.

‘He’s a top player. I’ve known him for a long time, since he was a kid,’ Butt said after the Manchester United Legends’ match with Celtic on Saturday.

‘He has got amazing temperament for a young man, great ability, great feet.

‘He’s got it all really and obviously he will be a very wanted man.’

Sir Jim Ratcliffe vowed to return United to its former glory after his partial takeover of the club in February, with Manchester City and Liverpool stealing the limelight in recent times.

While Butt admits it has been painful watching City and Liverpool enjoy such success in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, he believes United’s two biggest rivals deserve to be applauded albeit ‘through gritted teeth’.

‘Obviously it’s not easy being a Manchester United fan, seeing the success that they’re having,’ the 1999 treble winner added.

‘But you’ve just got to hold your hands up.

‘They’re both very good teams, great squads, good managers and you can only applaud them really… through gritted teeth.

‘They’re both amazing football teams and squads and they play football the right way.’

Butt hopes United’s hierarchy keep faith with Ten Hag and give the Dutchman ‘time to get it right’ in the hot seat at Old Trafford.

‘There’s no point sacking somebody if there’s nobody to come in,’ the former United and England midfielder continued.

‘Clubs all over the world do it, I think it’s crazy.

‘They sack a manager because it’s not going well and they don’t have any reasonable targets coming in, then they bring another wrong one in and it’s a knock-on effect.

‘For me, I’d give him time to get it right. It’s just the start of the season, we’ve only played three or four games and you’ve got to stand by him.

‘If they don’t do that, they just should have let go of him in the post-season.’

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